Soul Foods

BOITSHEPO GIYOSE | Monday May 31, 2010 00:00

 And granted holidays are not always a person's best way of eating, especially in the cold months.

This winter in particular is promising, by all indications already, to be a bitter one. So gear up diet wise and keep healthy and young.

Seeing as this is the last edition on nutrition for the middle aged I figured to complete my thoughts around the major nutrients that people over 40 may be missing out on. Let me say here that the last thing you really need in your later life are organ problems (pancreas, heart, liver, kidneys etc.) caused by a bad diet leading therefore to obesity and related diseases. Treatment of these conditions can put holes in anyone's pocket. Imagine, for instance, kidney dialysis costs at least P10,000 per patient per month - and this is a lifetime treatment.

 I have always been convinced that prevention through a healthy diet, exercise, annual medical checkups, and a positive outlook on life would ensure that life truly begins at 40. After 40, our bones especially become very important to us. That is why we need to protect them with a healthy daily dose of calcium at least 1,200mg. Your best bets are low fat plain yoghurt, low fat cheeses, and we have got to fall in love all over again with those greens.

When it comes to a group of foods, or vegetables in this case, that deliver on the best nutrition - providing you with calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamins A, C, E, and K, leafy green vegetables take first prize. They also give you ample fibre to keep your digestive tract working efficiently.  Think of and treat leafy greens as your insurance that can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise the good cholesterol (HDL).

They also boost the immune system and reduce cancer because they contain some powerful antioxidants, which are great for mopping all the free radicals in the system. Free radicals are toxins that accumulate daily due to bad diets and lifestyles. They are in fact the biggest cause of degeneration and aging. So taking care of these free radicals will literally free you of disease and aging. How lovely! Going green is always best, therefore choose and add these to your diet; spinach, kale, raip, Brussels sprouts, cabbage (whitish/green, purple, and Chinese), lettuces (butter, iceberg, rocket etc.), broccoli, sweet potato leaves, pumpkin leaves, bean leaves, and our very traditional greens are excellent as well. With so much choice and variety can you really claim to not be able to consume these all-in-one packages of good health?

Remember that the darker and greener they are the better for you. So come on please and join the green movement... Now the mother of skin care, healthy gums and eyesight vitamin A is fortunately also found in abundance in the leafy green vegetables. But you also get it from yellow, orange and red fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A helps to boost the immune system and fights off viruses, that's why it plays an important role in managing HIV and AIDS and many other infections. Studies show that the more we age, the more we seem to require vitamin A to protect our cognitive function.

Another study from the United States of America (US) found that older adults with higher intakes of antioxidants, including beta carotene (yes from carrots, etc. from which the body makes vitamin A), had a slower rate of mental decline. Now there you have it, no more aging stories and excuses. Just increase your vitamin A and other antioxidants starting now.

Another excellent antioxidant vitamin is vitamin E. Vitamin E protects our cells, helps them to communicate with each other, and defends the skin against Ultra Violet (UV) damage. Actually and interestingly, if you don't get enough vitamin E in your diet, you may have problems absorbing and utilising other nutrients. Wow that is an eye opener!

Where do we find this magical vitamin E? Simple, in nuts, sunflower seed and other seeds, wheat germ, white beans, and red bell peppers, and of course fortified vegetable oils.  Actually preventing old age is not rocket science, and the best way to better health in old age is to prevent disease before it starts. The greatest prospect of increasing a healthy productive lifespan is offered by optimum nutrition. monitornutrition@yahoo.com